Mata’s freekick turned things around for Manchester United last night
Last night Manchester United launched a stunning comeback to beat Juventus away from home in their Champions League group H match.
The turnaround began when Juan Mata scored from a free kick four minutes from full-time, having been brought on as a substitute by Jose Mourinho in the 79th minute.
Before stepping up to take the set-piece, Mata had to convince his teammate Ashley Young that he was the right man to take it, and following the match the United he explained to MUTV exactly what he said.
He told the channel: “As soon as there was the free kick in there, I had the confidence that I had to take it.
“I told Ash: ‘Please let me take it, because I can go over the wall.’
“It’s very difficult for the goalkeeper because they don’t see a lot [with the wall so close].
“So I tried to do what I do in training a lot of times, practicing, practicing. It was important to score to make it 1-1 and, after, it led us to the 1-2.
“I think because of the venue and the importance of the game, it’s one of the best [that I’ve scored].”
Jose Mourinho also had his say on the win after the match, harking back to Manchester United’s win against the Italian champions in 2003.
Mourinho said: “Probably when Manchester United had heroics here (in 2003), Manchester United was the best team.
“And [Juventus] are a top team for many years now. They bought that player (Ronaldo), they want to win everything, they can win everything and we are a team where many of the players didn’t play big matches like this in the Champions League.
“So, it is a different situation but it is a fantastic victory for us – a victory that is not just about the points we lost at home, it is about the feeling of how well we played.
“And I think even if this game doesn’t end with a victory, I would have the same feeling that the team played really, really well from the first minute – I repeat – against a super team.”
